De-spooling devices



1966 J. D. GILLISON 3,285,531

DE-SPOOLING DEVICES Filed Jan. 22, 1965 FIG.3

INVENTOR. $44455 D. G/LL/J'ON United States Patent tion of California Filed Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 427,254

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-128) The present invention relates generally to de-spooli ng devices, and more particularly to devices for preventing entanglement of elongated strands as they are removed from spools.

Although the need for de-spooling devices has ernsted for many decades, the advent of high speed machlnery within recent years has made this need unusually acute. That is, elongated strand material such as string, cord, wire and the like has, for many years, been wound on spools in a virtually continuous manner. Until recently, however, such strands have been removed from the spools at a relatively low rate of speed so that the problems encountered in stopping and starting such strands have not been particularly troublesome.

Today, there are many machines which utilize elongated strands and operate at relatively high speeds such that removal of the strand material has become increasingly critical. For instance, in view of the added emphasis, within recent years, on electrical and electronic equipment, coil winding apparatus and machines have become very prevalent. Such machines, for economic reasons, operate at very fast speeds, thus necessitating the availability of large quantities of electrical wire Within a very short period of time.

When electrical wire or other elongated strand material is pulled from its spool at a very fast rate, subsequent termination of such pulling action as well as the exceptionally high speed of removal causes the strand material to become entangled with itself and wit-l1 other objects nearby. That is, as the wire is pulled over the end of the spool, at a very fast rate, the mass and weight of the wire itself causes it to flare outwardly around the end of the spool. Frequently, this causes the wire to become engaged with other objects in the area. Also, upon interruption of such removal operation, the wire, due to the mass and speed of travel thereof, continues to move thereby causing the wire to become entangled in a large knot or ball.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a despooling device which frictionally engages the spool of wire or strand material and is operable to provide tension on the material as it is pulled from the spool.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a de-spooling device as characterized above which is formed of relatively stiff wire for resiliently engaging or gripping the spool of strand material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a de-spooling device as characterized above having an annular end portion through which the strand material is removed so as to rotate the de-spooling device on the spool.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a de-spooling device as characterized above whereby the amount of drag or tension applied to the strand material can be varied merely by altering the shape of the device itself.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a de-spooling device as characterized above which is formed of relatively stiff but deformable and resilient elongated wire one end of which is formed with a 360 bend to provide a strand-receiving annulus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a de-spooling device as characterized above which is 3,285,531 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which is rugged and dependable in operation.

The novel features which I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The device itself, however, both as to its organization and mode of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a de-spooling device according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the de-spooling device of FIGURE 1, shown in operating position on a spool of strand material;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Like references characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, there is shown therein a spool of strand material identified generally with the numeral 10. Such spool comprises a core 12 which may be hollow as shown in FIGURE 3. In addition thereto, spool 10 also comprises a pair of oppositely disposed end members or flanges 14 and 16 which are attached to the opposite ends of the core 12.

The core of the spool 10 may be formed of any appropriate material, and for cost saving purposes is usually made of pressed paper or cardboard. However, as will be readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art, the core may be formed of any appropriate plastic, wood or metal materials.

The end flanges 14 and 16 may be formed of wood or other appropriate material, depending upon the strength requirements of the entire spool. Appropriate mounting holes, as shown at 14a in flange 14 and at 16a in flange 16 may be provided to facilitate mounting Otf the entire spool.

Wound on the core 12 of spool 10 is the elongated strand material 18, providing a plurality of adjacent convol-utio ns. Such strand material 16 may be virtually any elongated material such as string, rope, cord, Wire, strips of plastic or metal or the like. The length of such strand material is limited only by the size of the spool 10 as compared to the cross sectional size and weight of the strand material itself.

The de-spoolin-g device 20 of FIGURE 1 com-prises an arcuately shaped main body portion or friction element 21 formed of any appropriate resilient material for at least partially encircling the spool of strand material as show in FIGURES 2 and 3. One end 21a of said friction element is formed with a 360 bend 21b for providing an annulus 22 through which the strand material is pulled as will hereinafter be explained in greater detail. Such annulus, as will be readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art, is formed by providing such bend and causing the end portion 210: to engage itself.

The opposite end of element 21 is formed with a slight offset as at 21d to prevent engagement of such element with the various oonvoalutions of strand material 18 as will hereinafter become more apparent.

The entire de-spool-i-n g device 20 of FIGURE 1 is preferably formed of deformable though relative stiif wire material, although it is contemplated within the scope of this invention that it could be formed of plastic or other materials having comparable physical characteristics.

In operation, the de-spooling device is mounted on the spool of elongated strand material as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The end 18a of strand material 18 is threaded through the annulus 22 as shown. The spool is preferably mounted in a relatively stationary position to enable the strand material to be removed over and around one of the end flanges 14 and '16. That is, due to the manner in which the spools of wire are initially wound, it is most desirable to remove the successive convolutions of wire over one or the other of such end flanges. This is particularly true for coil winding purposes, the wire thereby being properly oriented for being formed into the desired electrical coils.

As the strand material is pulled over the end of the spool, the de-spiooling device is caused to rotate on the spool thereby causing frictional forces to be generated the-rebetween. Such frictional forces are opposed to the pulling action on the strand material 18 thereby creating tension forces in the latter. Such forces within the strand material 18 cause the strand material 18 to remain taut at all times throughout its removal.

As soon as the strand material 18 is released, the frictional forces between the de-spooling device and the spool of material cause the device to immediately come to rest. As such, the strand material 18, which is threaded through the annulus 22, also stops thereby preventing the strand material from continuing to whip around, over the end flange of the spool.

It will also be noted that throughout the removal operation of the strand material, the de-sp ooling device holds the strand material close to the spool itself. That is, as the strand material is pulled from the spool at an extremely high rate of speed, the tendency of the material being removed to flare outwardly in a relatively large arc is overcome by the de-spooling device.

FIGURE 4 of the drawings shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The device 30 therein comprises a main body or friction element 31 similar to the friction element 21 of the embodiment shown FIGURE 1. The friction element .31 may be formed of the same material as the element 21. One end 3111 is provided with a tubular element 32 which, in effect, forms strand-receiving means analogous to the annulus 22 of FIGURE 1. Such tubular member 62 may be formed with flared opposite ends as at 32a and 32b, and is welded as :at 34 to the reversally bent end portion 31a of element 3 1. Tubular member 32, of course, if provided with a through central opening through which the strand material is extended. The opposite end 31b of element 31 is ofl set slightly to prevent engagement thereof with the strand material on the spool.

The embodiment of FIGURE 4 operates in substantially the same manner as the above described first embodiment. The strand material extends through the tub-ular member 32 so that removal of the strand material over the end flange of the spool causes the resilient friction element 31 to rotate on the spool itself. Such rotation, of course, generates frictional forces which oppose the pulling action on the strand material thereby creating tension forces therein. Such tension forces, of course, keep the strand material taut and prevent overnunning or free running of the strand material when the pulling force is terminated.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a despooling device which is simple in construction and operation, and hence is capable of being produced in rela-v tively large quantities by mass production methods.

Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. \My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A de-spooling device for use on a spool of continuous strand material comprising a-length of wire arouately shaped substantially throughout its length to conform to and .at least partially encircle said spool of continuous strand material, one end of said element being formed with :a 360 degree continuous bend to provide an annulus for slidably receiving said strand, whereby as said strand is pulled through said annulus said element is caused to move on said spool to thereby create tension on said strand for preventing entanglement thereof.

2. A supply of continuous strand material comprising in combination, a spool formed with an elongated intermediate portion and a pair of oppositely disposed annular flanges on opposite ends of said intermediate portion mounted in relatively stationary position, continuous strand material wound on said spool to provide a plurality of adjacent convolutio-ns thereof, a friction element formed of a length of wire arcuately shaped substantially throughout its length to conform to and to resiliently grip the oonvoluti-ons of said strand material for rotation there- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,262 2,963,240 12/ 1960 Jackson et al 242128 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD 1Q. CHRISTIAN, Examiner.

2/1893 Jenkins 225 -59 X 

1. A DE-SPOOLING DEVICE FOR USE ON A SPOOL OF CONTINUOUS STRAND MATERIAL COMPRISING A LENGTH OF WIRE ARCUATELY SHPAED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH TO CONFORM TO AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY ENCIRCLE SAID SPOOL OF CONTINUOUS STRAND MATERIAL, ONE END OF SAID ELEMENT BEING FORMED WITH A 360 DEGREE CONTINUOUS BEND TO PROVIDE AN ANNULUS FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID STRAND, WHEREBY AS SAID STRAND IS PULLED THROUGH SAID ANNULUS SAID ELEMENT IS CAUSED TO MOVE AN SAID SPOOL TO THEREBY TENSION ON SAID STRAND FOR PREVENTING ENTANGLEMENT THEREOF. 